Preparations for Durga Puja are in final stages across Tangail, with artisans working day and night to complete idols and organisers putting the finishing touches to pandals ahead of the Hindu community’s biggest religious festival.
This year, 1,356 pandals will host the festival across the district’s 12 upazilas, 110 more than last year. However, artisans say soaring raw material prices and shrinking profits are making it increasingly difficult to sustain their livelihoods.
Durga Puja will begin nationwide on October 15 with Maha Panchami and conclude on October 21 with Bijoya Dashami and the immersion of idols.
More pandals, hectic preparations
Artisans are racing against time to complete idols of Goddess Durga and her children — Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesha. While idol-making has been completed in many places, work continues at several others, with artisans painting idols and adding the final touches to meet deadlines.
From early morning until late at night, workers are putting in long hours as preparations gather pace and the festive atmosphere spreads across the district.
According to traditional Hindu beliefs, Goddess Durga will arrive on an elephant and depart by boat this year.
Rising costs squeeze artisans
Despite the increase in the number of pandals, idol-makers say rising prices of clay, paint and other materials have significantly eroded their profits. They also say their earnings are no longer sufficient to cover household expenses.
Pradip Chandra Pal, an artisan who has been making idols for 20 years, said preparations were now at their busiest, with workers labouring day and night to finish their work.
“The cost of everything needed to make idols has increased. A colour that used to cost Tk100 now costs Tk150. The price of clay has also risen significantly,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Pal said he had made 10 idols this year at a cost of Tk150,000 and expected to sell them for around Tk250,000.
“Earlier, we could spend six months without work after making idols for Durga Puja. Now, that is no longer possible,” he said, adding that rising costs and low returns had made the profession increasingly difficult.
Another artisan, Arnab, who has been in the profession for seven years, said the workload increased sharply ahead of the festival, leaving little time for rest.
“We hardly have any time to rest during this period. But the money we earn from painting idols is not enough to run our households,” he said.
The artisans called for government assistance to help them cope with rising production costs and declining profits.
Security tightened
Tangail District Puja Celebration Committee Acting President Chitta Ranjan Sarkar said organisers had held discussions with representatives of all puja committees to ensure the celebrations proceeded smoothly.
He attributed the increase in the number of pandals to the administration’s overall cooperation.
“Police will be deployed at every pandal, alongside CCTV surveillance and other security measures. We hope to complete the celebrations without any untoward incidents,” he said.
Tangail Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shamsul Alam Sarkar said a special security plan had been drawn up for the festival.
Police, Detective Branch personnel and plainclothes officers will be deployed to maintain law and order, he said, adding that the police would remain vigilant to ensure peaceful celebrations.
